3 days Ago By Nicholas McGee, A to Z Sports
The saving grace for the San Francisco 49ers following their defeat to the Minnesota Vikings was that they appeared to have left the game with no significant injuries. As it turns out, that was not the case. Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed in his Monday conference call with local media that wide receiver Deebo Samuel suffered a calf strain and will be out "a couple of weeks".
Shanahan added that Samuel believes he suffered the injury on the 49ers' third to last offensive play of their 23-17 defeat. With the 49ers already down running back Christian McCaffrey at least three more games, it means they will be down their two most versatile talents for multiple games. Samuel was excellent in the Niners' Week 2 loss, making eight catches for 110 yards, shining as fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk endured another quiet game .
The removal of both McCaffrey, whose absence has been most keenly felt in the passing game, and Samuel from the equation places a huge amount of pressure on Aiyuk to rediscover the form that led to him earning a four-year, $120 million extension following a prolonged contract stand-off with the Niners. San Francisco's leading receiver from the last two seasons has just six catches for 71 yards through two games and has struggled to create the separation for which he has become known. Though the 49ers have an All-Pro tight end in George Kittle, it is clear San Francisco cannot afford to wait for Aiyuk to shake off the rust much longer.
Shanahan is adept at creating separation for his pass-catchers, but his and quarterback Brock Purdy's task in ensuring the offense is productive and efficient without McCaffrey and Samuel will be much easier if Aiyuk can rekindle his rapport with his signal-caller. He theoretically has a great opportunity to experience a return to form in Week 3 against a Los Angeles Rams defense that was shredded by the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2. Down two crucial playmakers, it is imperative Aiyuk takes that chance and reminds everyone why he was Purdy's favorite target last season.
This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission..
